Proving Prophecy, Dalāʾil al-Nubūwa Literature as Part of the Scholarly Discourse on Prophecy in Islam


Book Description

Dalā’il al-Nubuwwa literature that is centered on narratives from the Prophet Muḥammad’s life has most commonly been viewed, or even dismissed, as the product of popular veneration. Building extensive research on biographical and bibliographical sources, this book demonstrates that Dalā’il al-Nubuwwa literature emerged among the circles of early ḥadīth scholars of the late 2nd/8th century. By analyzing extant texts of Dalā’il al-Nubuwwa regarding their sources, structures, methodological approaches, and selection of contents, it showcases that these works were part of epistemological discourses on prophecy that transcended religious boundaries as well as the dividing lines between various Muslim scholarly disciplines.




The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought


Book Description

"In 2012, the year 1433 of the Muslim calendar, the Islamic population throughout the world was estimated at approximately a billion and a half, representing about one-fifth of humanity. In geographical terms, Islam occupies the center of the world, stretching like a big belt across the globe from east to west."--P. vii.




Modern Debates on Prophecy and Prophethood in Islam


Book Description

While prophethood is the backbone of the Islamic tradition and an uncompromised tenet of faith, the impact of modernity with its ambivalent status afforded to the prophet and institution of prophethood shook many Muslim scholars. Through analysis of these modern debates on prophethood in Islam, this book situates Muhammad Iqbal’s (1877–1938) and Said Nursi’s (1877–1960) discourses within it and assesses their implications on the modern period. This book introduces the "what, who and how" of the prophets in the Islamic tradition. It unveils the rich Islamic literature of both the classical and modern periods and analyses the construction of their philosophies and theologies. Concise in both historical and textual analyses, this book makes an important contribution to our understanding of contemporary debates on prophecy and prophethood in Islam and will be of great interest to postgraduate students and researchers of Islam, religious studies, medieval studies and contemporary studies of Islam and religion.




The Words of the Imams


Book Description

Ibn Babawayh – also known as al-Shaykh al-Saduq – was a prominent Twelver Shi'i scholar of hadith. Writing within the first century after the vanishing of the twelfth imam, al-Saduq represents a pivotal moment in Twelver hadith literature, as this Shi'i community adjusted to a world without a visible imam and guide, a world wherein the imams could only be accessed through the text of their remembered words and deeds. George Warner's study of al-Saduq's work examines the formation of Shi'i hadith literature in light of these unique dynamics, as well as giving a portrait of an important but little-studied early Twelver thinker. Though almost all of al-Saduq's writings are collections of hadith, Warner's approach pays careful attention to how these texts are selected and presented to explore what they can reveal about their compiler, offering insight into al-Saduq's ideas and suggesting new possibilities for the wider study of hadith.




The Prophetic Jewels of al-Hafiz Abu Nu'aym al-Asbahani


Book Description

This book is a translation of an extract from Jawahir al-Bihar fi Fada'il al-Nabi al-Mukhtar ﷺ by al-Shaykh Yusuf ibn Isma'il al-Nabhani on the virtues of the Chosen Prophet ﷺ through the writings of al-Hafiz Abu Nu’aym al-Asbahani in his book, Dala’il al-Nubuwah. The first half of this book’s main contents broadly consists of the virtues and specialties of the Chosen Prophet ﷺ based on Quranic verses and Prophetic Hadiths. These include – but are not limited to – his existence as mercy for the worlds, the greatness of his status, the precedence of his Prophethood before the Prophets’, his intercession for his Ummah, and his noble characters and characteristics ﷺ. The second half of this book’s main contents thoroughly explains the superiority of the Chosen Prophet ﷺ over the other Prophets in their virtues and miracles. The book is then concluded by a section by the compiler himself, al-Shaykh al-Nabhani, on his study on the marvels of the Saints and the miracles of the Prophets. This study ultimately aims to further emphasize that the Prophet ﷺ is superior to all the other Prophets as he is the Chosen Prophet, the Master of the Messengers and the most honourable creation to Allah ﷻ. All in all, this book is very rich in Quranic verses, Prophetic Hadiths and narrations about the noble virtues of the Prophet ﷺ. Its scope also covers the most basic knowledge and the most fundamental information about the virtues and specialties of the Prophet ﷺ that are essential for a Muslim's principles of faith in him ﷺ. By studying this book, readers can learn more about the Prophet Muhammad, deepen their love for him and increase their obedience to him ﷺ.




Muhammad in History, Thought, and Culture [2 volumes]


Book Description

This in-depth examination of the life, history, and influence of Muhammad as discussed by leading scholars provides a wide-ranging look at the prophet's legacy unlike any other in the field of Islamic and culture studies. Within the Islamic world, the prophet Muhammad's influence is profound. But even outside of the religion of Islam, this visionary had a wide-ranging impact on history, society, literature, art, philosophy, and theology. Within this work's more than 200 A–Z entries, internationally recognized scholars summarize views of Muhammad from the earliest editors of the Qu'ran to contemporary Muslim theologians. This detailed resource explores the traditions, ceremonies, and beliefs of Islam as they have spread worldwide, and examines Muhammad's role in other religious traditions as well as the secular world. Muhammad in History, Thought, and Culture: An Encyclopedia of the Prophet of God distills 14 centuries of thinking about Muhammad, fully capturing his enduring legacy. This encyclopedia will benefit any reader seeking a greater understanding of the founder of Islam, the fastest-growing religion in the world. No other publication discusses Muhammad at such a high level of detail while remaining easily accessible to non-specialist, Western audiences.




Companion to Proofs of the Prophets


Book Description

Companion volume to general introduction to Proofs of the Prophets, including Part One: The Nomenclature of Proof; Part Two: Reasons for Opposition to the Prophets of God; Part Three: Principles of Approach to the Prophets of God; Part Four: The Path of Illumination--as found in the Writings of Baha'u'llah, the Bab, 'Abdu'l-Baha, Shoghi Effendi, and in the Sacred Writings of various religions.




Galen's Prophecy


Book Description

Nearly two thousand years ago a physician named Galen of Pergamon suggested that much of the variation in human behavior could be explained by an individual's temperament. Since that time, inborn dispositions have fallen in and out of favor. Based on fifteen years of research, Galen's Prophecy now provides fresh insights into these complex questions, offering startling new evidence to support Galen's ancient classification of melancholic and sanguine adults. Integrating evidence and ideas from biology, philosophy, and psychology, Jerome Kagan examines the implications of the idea of temperament for aggressive behavior, conscience, psychopathology, and the degree to which each of us can be expected to control our deepest emotions.







The Barāhima’s Dilemma


Book Description

When debating the need for prophets, Muslim theologians frequently cited an objection from a group called the Barāhima – either a prophet conveys what is in accordance with reason, so they would be superfluous, or a prophet conveys what is contrary to reason, so they would be rejected. The Barāhima did not recognise prophecy or revelation, because they claimed that reason alone could guide them on the right path. But who were these Barāhima exactly? Were they Brahmans, as their title would suggest? And how did they become associated with this highly incisive objection to prophecy? This book traces the genealogy of the Barāhima and explores their profound impact on the evolution of Islamic theology. It also charts the pivotal role that the Kitāb al-Zumurrud played in disseminating the Barāhima’s critiques and in facilitating an epistemological turn in the wider discourse on prophecy (nubuwwa). When faced with the Barāhima, theologians were not only pressed to explain why rational agents required the input of revelation, but to also identify an epistemic gap that only a prophet could fill. A debate about whether humans required prophets thus evolved into a debate about what humans could and could not know by their own means.